Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Hi Paige! I'm new to this site and I came across your journal while looking for physique competitors. I am going to be doing my first show this year (realistically, probably late summer/early fall) and right now I am doing my best to plan my diet/training. I just read through your journal to get a feel for what the routine of a competitor looks like. Seems like your diet is very strict and your training is intense! Love it!! Also, you look great in your pics! I can't wait to post my contest pics one day... one day, lol.

I have a few questions for you if you don't mind...

Do you use one of the gemma flavors or just the natural/unsweetened? I know the site also gives you an option to add stuff to it - do you add anything?

Do you have a set amount of macros that you aim for each day?

Any advice for a newbie??

Thanks so much and best of luck in preparing for your next comp!!!

I think I might be a memeber of that club too! I targeted 2200 to 2500 calories and 200g protien and I have been dropping back on the calories and uping my cardio a bit. Still can't lose my middle section as much as I want. I know you have to eat a ton to bulk up but I am in all the right AND wrong places.

Glad your going to be posting a regular journal till your next comp!!

luvpitbulls: Welcome to competition. Once you get the bug you will never be able to give it up. I have tried but can't, after 7 years and 25 plus comps. Advice: Set realistic goals. Realize that competition is a personal journey that allows you to find out what you are really made of, and just keep going, no matter what. When it comes to training and diet. I find that diet is number one and everyone's struggle. You have to find out what works for you. I need alot of protein and I have problems with carbs. I shoot for about 150grams per day in protein. I was using the gemma from true protein but they just changed the product and it now has 600mg of sodium/scoop. I use alot of protein powders so that does not work for me, and yes I used the premium natural flavoring and added stevia. I think I am now going to go with a rice/hemp/gemma mix. I also found a powder from Lifetime. The unsweetened vanilla, if you add a little stevia the product is great but expensive, found on bodybuilding.com. If you need to add muscle you will need to train hard and try and eat 1-1.5grams of protein per lb. of bodyweight. And yes, if you want to compete as you get closer to comp things get strict, that is kind of the fun of it. If you need anything else please feel free to ask. I am headed to Dallas tomorrow for a 2 day competition camp to learn some new training techniques and work on posing. I may have some new tricks when I get back. Good luck!

today's log: Training great. Diet sucked.
5-6:30 am training: 5 sets each of; military press, bi-curls, tri-dips, ball squats, lat pulldowns, leg ext. (did half the stack today on a set of 6), tri-pressdown, v-ups, obliques crunches, pushups (and no not the girl kind), walking lunges on incline treadmill.

Just got back from Texas. Just won the Legacy Southwest Women's Bodybuilding Championship.

Right on!! Congratulations.
Love to see some winning photo's if you got'em.

Congrats Paige!! That's fantastic!

Thanks. Will post when I get something back from the photographer. Also worked with an international 20 year bodybuilder on posing, nutrition, and training. So here is the training plan for the next 6 weeks until my next contest in L.A.
4x per week 45 mins. cardio morning, 45 mins cardio evening. 4x/wk weight training, 2 body parts per day 3-4 sets of 15, 3 exercises per body part. The feedback is that I do not need to add anymore muscle only need to drop body fat at this point. I was told to lighten my weights alot. I think this defies everything they say about veganism. Also, he is writing me a vegan pre-contest diet, which should be really interesting. I will have it by Thursday. Really looking forward to it.

nice one

Well today I was supposed to do double cardio. I just didn't have it in me. Did 45mins of running at 5am on empty stomach. 45mins of tris/bis. Weight training is tough after cardio. food was 2 sc. gemma post cardio and pre-weights, 2 sc gemma and one banana after work out, 2 scoops gemma at 9:30a, salad with all greens, flax oil and balsamic vinegar at lunch, 2sc gemma at 2pm, and dinner same as lunch. Will have some more protein powder at 7:30 so protein before bed. I just got my Lifetime vegan powder from Bodybuilding.com today so I will be using that this week. I love it but it is $25/lb. Yikes! I go through a lb. every 2 days.

Wow congratulations Paige!!!

Well I have come to the conclusion that I will be in the gym 1x/day. I have tons of motivation at 5am but nothing in me, for a 5pm training. So everything has to be done at 5am, cardio and weights. Ran 5miles this morn, empty stomach. My feet are killing me now after 3 days running on the tread this week. Food was 6am 2sc prot powder, 1 banana, 8am 2 scoops powder, 12:00 lettuce, broccoli, brussels, 1/2 block tofu with balsamic and flax oil, 2:00 strawberries, blueberries, 3 scoops powder, 4:00 1/2 block tofu 1c brussels, 6:00 2 scoops powder (using Lifetime combo of gemma, hemp, rice, chia)

yesterday ran for 30mins on an empty stomach then 45mins of legs then 20mins on the rotating stairs. Eating was a bit messy. Basically ate tofu, tempeh, protein powder, veggies, bananas and air-popped popcorn. Too much protein powder and tofu.

Congrats on your win!!!

Can't wait to hear how you're liking your new diet... keep us posted!

Awesome win!!